Peshawar High Court Dismisses Petitions Seeking Release of Convicts Sentenced by Military Courts

Peshawar: The Peshawar High Court has dismissed petitions seeking the release of convicts sentenced by military courts, ruling that the convicts have already been granted the benefit of Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code.
In an eight-page verdict, the court stated that the individuals were convicted under the Army Act, which is a special law and takes precedence over general laws. According to the Additional Attorney General, the benefit of Section 382-B — which allows for the deduction of time spent in custody prior to conviction — has already been granted to the convicts.
The petitioners had argued that despite completing their sentences, the convicts were still being kept in prison, which they claimed was a violation of Articles 9, 13, 14, and 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan. However, the court accepted the government’s stance that sentences passed by military courts begin from the date the proceedings are completed and officially signed.
In light of these findings, the court ruled that there were no grounds for further relief and dismissed the petitions.